Driving device for driving a vehicle as well as method and computer program product for operating this driving device

Abstract

A driving device for driving a vehicle includes an internal combustion engine, a feed line for feeding combustion air to the internal combustion engine, a discharge line for discharging exhaust gases from the internal combustion engine, a charge air cooler that is arranged in the feed line for cooling the combustion air, and a recirculation line branching off the discharge line for recirculating the exhaust gas from the discharge line into the feed line. The recirculation line includes a bypass line that the exhaust gas can be fed to the internal combustion engine through the charge air cooler and/or bypassing the charge air cooler.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A driving device for driving a vehicle, comprising:
 an internal combustion engine; 
 a feed line configured to feed combustion air to the internal combustion engine; 
 a discharge line configured to discharge exhaust gases from the internal combustion engine; 
 a charge air cooler in fluid communication with the feed line and configured to cool the combustion air; 
 a recirculation line branching off the discharge line and configured to recirculate exhaust gas from the discharge line into the feed line, wherein exhaust gases can be fed by the recirculation line to the internal combustion engine through the charge air cooler; 
 a bypass line configured to feed exhaust gas to the internal combustion engine bypassing the charge air cooler, wherein the bypass line is in communication with the recirculation line; 
 a shut-off and directional control device configured to interact with the recirculation line and the bypass line; 
 a control unit configured to actuate the shut-off and directional control device such that flow of the recirculated exhaust gas line is: (i) selectively shut off, or (ii) directed through the charge air cooler to the internal combustion engine, or (iii) directed to the internal combustion engine bypassing the charge air cooler; and 
 a status sensor configured to determine a pressure in the feed line and the discharge line of the driving device, wherein the control unit is configured to shut off the recirculation line when the pressure in the feed line is greater than the pressure in the discharge line. 
 
     
     
       2. The driving device according to  claim 1 , wherein the shut-off and directional control device comprises an actuating device settable in at least two positions including a first position to direct the recirculated exhaust gas through the charge air cooler to the internal combustion engine and a second position to direct recirculated exhaust gas to the internal combustion engine bypassing the charge air cooler. 
     
     
       3. The driving device according to  claim 1 , wherein the status sensor device comprises at least one of a pressure sensor arranged in the feed line for measuring pressure in the feed line, or a pressure sensor configured to measure at least one of a pressure in feed line or a pressure in the discharge line, or a mass flow measuring unit configured to measure the mass flow of at least one of the combustion air in the feed line or the exhaust gas in the discharge line, or a tachometer measuring a rotational speed of the internal combustion engine. 
     
     
       4. The driving device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a flow rate regulating device configured to interact with the recirculation line for adjusting the flow rate of the recirculated exhaust gas. 
     
     
       5. The driving device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a recirculation cooler that is arranged in the recirculation line for cooling the recirculated exhaust gas. 
     
     
       6. The driving device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a turbocharger with a turbo compressor in fluid communication with the feed line for compressing the combustion air and an exhaust gas turbine in fluid communication with the discharge line for driving the turbocharger. 
     
     
       7. The driving device according to  claim 6 , wherein the recirculation line at a first inlet branches into the feed line and the charge air cooler, wherein the turbo compressor seen in flow direction of the combustion air to the internal combustion engine is arranged upstream of the first inlet, wherein the recirculation line branches off the discharge line at a branch-off point, and wherein the exhaust gas turbine is arranged downstream of the branch-off point in flow direction of the exhaust gas away from the internal combustion engine. 
     
     
       8. The driving device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a throttle valve arranged in the feed line between the charge air cooler and the internal combustion engine, and wherein the bypass line leads into the feed line at a second inlet arranged either between the charge air cooler and the throttle valve or between the throttle valve and the internal combustion engine. 
     
     
       9. A vehicle with a driving device according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
       10. A method for operating a driving device for driving a vehicle, comprising:
 determining a current operational status of the driving device and generating corresponding status signals with a status sensor device; 
 communicating the status signals to a control unit; 
 determining at least one of a first pressure in a feed line seen in flow direction of combustion air to an internal combustion engine upstream of a charge air cooler or a second pressure in the feed line downstream of the charge air cooler with the control unit based on the status signals; 
 determining an exhaust gas pressure in a discharge line with the control unit based on the status signals; 
 comparing the at least one of the first or second pressures with the exhaust gas pressure; and 
 actuating a shut-off and directional control device using the control unit such that the shut-off and directional control device selectively shuts off the recirculation line when the at least one of the first or second pressures is greater than the exhaust gas pressure. 
 
     
     
       11. The method for operating a driving device according to  claim 10  further comprising:
 determining the current operational status of the driving device and generating corresponding status signals with the status sensor device; 
 communicating the status signals to the control unit; 
 determining the first pressure in the feed line seen in flow direction of the combustion air to the internal combustion engine upstream of the charge air cooler and a second pressure in the feed line downstream of the charge air cooler based on the status signals; 
 determining the exhaust gas pressure in the discharge line with the control unit based on the status signals; 
 comparing the first pressure and the second pressure with the exhaust gas pressure; 
 actuating the shut-off and directional control device with the control unit such that the shut-off and directional control device: (i) shuts off the recirculation line when the first pressure and the second pressure are greater than the exhaust gas pressure; (ii) recirculates exhaust gas to the internal combustion engine bypassing the charge air cooler when the exhaust gas pressure is greater than the second pressure; or (iii) recirculates exhaust gas through the charge air cooler to the internal combustion engine when the exhaust gas pressure is greater than the first pressure. 
 
     
     
       12. The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the current operational status of the driving device is determined by measuring the mass flow of at least one of the combustion air flowing through the feed line or the exhaust gas flowing through the discharge line with a mass flow measuring unit. 
     
     
       13. The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the current operational status of the driving device is determined by measuring a rotational speed of the internal combustion engine with a tachometer. 
     
     
       14. The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the current operational status of the driving device is determined by measuring at least the first or second pressure with a pressure sensor suitably arranged in the feed line. 
     
     
       15. A computer program product for operating a driving device with a program code that is stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium for carrying out the method according to  claim 10 .